Chronic liver diseases are a group of diseases in which the liver is subjected to a variety of injuries over a long period of time， resulting in irreversible pathological changes that last longer than 6 months. Emodin （EMO） is a natural anthraquinone derivative derived from Rheum officinale， and its pharmacological effect has been extensively studied， exhibiting a variety of biological properties and involving multiple signaling molecules and pathways. Western medicine or surgical treatment is currently the main treatment regimen for chronic liver diseases， and the advance in treatment is limited by various reasons such as side effects and high costs. Due to its natural origin and efficacy， EMO has unique advantages in the treatment of chronic liver diseases and has now become a research hotspot. This article summarizes the therapeutic effect of EMO on chronic liver diseases and its mechanism， in order to provide a certain scientific basis for the traditional Chinese medicine treatment of chronic liver diseases and the development of drugs in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE To study the improvement effect and mechanism of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglucoside （TWM） on nephrotic syndrome in rats. METHODS The nephrotic syndrome model was established by intravenous injection of adriamycin via the tail vein. The modeling rats were randomly divided into the model group （distilled water）， prednisone group （10 mg/kg）， and TWM high- and low-dose groups （10 and 5 mg/kg， respectively）. Additionally， blank group （distilled water） without model induction was established. Each group consisted of 9 rats. Rats in each group were administered the corresponding drugs or distilled water by gavage， once a day， for 6 consecutive weeks. The histopathological morphology of kidney tissues in rats was observed； the levels of 24-hour urinary protein （24 h-UTP） and serum biochemical indicators [albumin （ALB）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， serum creatinine （SCr）， cholesterol （CHOL）， and triglyceride （TG）] in rats were determined； the levels of oxidative stress indicators [superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）] in kidney tissue of rats were determined； expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）/microRNA-155-5p （miR-155-5p）/nuclear factor erythriod 2- related factor 2 （Nrf2） signaling pathway-related mRNA and protein in the renal tissues of rats were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the rats in the model group exhibited disordered renal tissue structure， with a small amount of glomerular necrosis and edema of the renal tubular epithelial cells. 24 h-UTP， serum levels of SCr， BUN， CHOL and TG， MDA content， mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α and Keap1 as well as the expression of miR-155-5p in renal tissues were increased significantly （ P ＜0.05）. Serum level of ALB， SOD level in renal tissue as well as mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2 were decreased significantly （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， TWM high-dose and low-dose groups exhibited significant improvements in renal injury， with notable reversals in the levels of the above quantitative indicators （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS TWM can alleviate oxidative stress-induced damage and thereby improve nephrotic syndrome in rats by regulating the HIF-1α/miR-155-5p/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Establishing a scientific talent classification evaluation mechanism is of great significance for public hospitals to motivate and guide the career development of various types of talents and to promote the high-quality development of the health and medical care industry. However, university-affiliated hospitals had long faced issues such as an imperfect talent classification evaluation system, difficulty in setting evaluation indicators, a relatively monolithic evaluation method, and insufficient application of evaluation results. In 2019, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, initiated a talent stratification and classification management mechanism. The hospital established separate evaluation indicator systems for clinical, research, and teaching talents, and adhered to a value orientation that equally emphasizes medical care, teaching, and research. Additionally, a diversified evaluation mode was constructed, led by the hospital with the participation of peers and the public. Emphasis was also placed on linking evaluation results with talent development, rewards, and excellence awards. The initiative has achieved positive outcomes and can serve as a reference for talent management in other university-affiliated hospitals and relevant departments.

AIM To explore the clinical effects of Supplemented Buyang Huanwu Decoction on postoperative patients with lumbar vertebral fracture complicated with spinal cord injury due to Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis Pattern.METHODS One hundred and twenty patients were randomly assigned into control group(60 cases)for 6-week intervention of conventional treatment,and observation group(60 cases)for 6-week intervention of both Supplemented Buyang Huanwu Decoction and conventional treatment.The changes in clinical effects,TCM syndrome scores,spinal cord conduction signals(SEP amplitude,MEP amplitude),serum neurotrophic factors(NGF,IGF-1,BDNF),coagulation and inflammatory indices(PT,APTT,TNF-α,IL-1 β)and incidence of adverse reactions were detected.RESULTS The observation group demonstrated higher total effective rate than the control group(P＜0.05).After the treatment,the two groups displayed decreased TCM syndrome scores,TNF-α,IL-1β(P＜0.05),increased spinal cord conduction signals,coagulation and inflammatory indices(P＜0.05),and shortened PT,APTT(P＜0.05),especially for the observation group(P＜0.05).No significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions was found between the two groups(P＞0.05).CONCLUSION For the patients with lumbar vertebral fracture complicated with spinal cord injury due to Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis Pattern,Supplemented Buyang Huanwu Decoction can safely and effectively promote neurological function recovery.

Forensic medicine has been designated as a first-level discipline,presenting new opportunities and challenges for the development of forensic medicine.Since the 1980s,the establishment of foren-sic medicine discipline and the cultivation of high-level forensic talents have become hot topics in the development of forensic medicine in China.Since the 13th Five-Year Plan,the forensic team of Shanxi Medical University has been aiming at the forefront,proposing the development goals of"Five First-class"and the discipline development path"Six Major Achievements".It has selected benchmark disci-plines,identified gaps in disciplinary development,unified thoughts,formulated completion timelines,concentrated superior resources,assigned tasks to individuals,and created an"Organized Fill-in-the-Blank Format"forensic medicine discipline construction model with the characteristics of the new era.The construction model of forensic medicine has achieved good results in the goals,discipline frame-work,scientific research,talent cultivation,discipline team and platform construction,forming a rela-tively complete discipline construction and management system,and accumulating valuable experience for the construction of first-level discipline and high-level talent cultivation of forensic medicine.

Objective:To investigate the treatment and management of patients with endemic fluorosis (referred to as fluorosis) in Ankang City, Shaanxi Province, and to provide a scientific basis for adjusting and optimizing treatment and management strategies for fluorosis patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patient information collected from county-level disease prevention and control centers in Ankang City from 2019 to 2023. Data included demographic information, clinical treatment, chronic disease management, treatment records, work reports, and summaries. The study aimed to learn about the treatment willingness, methods, and effects of patients with fluorosis, and to evaluate the disease management situation of patients with fluorosis.Results:From 2019 to 2023, the proportion of fluorosis patients who were willing to receive treatment in Ankang City had increased from 76.80% (1 089/1 418) in 2019 to 100% (1 408/1 408) in 2023, showing an upward trend year by year (χ 2trend = 971.15, P < 0.001). A total of 6 876 patients received treatment, with a treatment rate of 100%. The majority of patients received drug treatment (99.64%, 6 851/6 876), with an effective rate of 94.90% (6 525/6 876). The effective rate of treatment for patients with fluorosis had increased from 88.71% (966/1 418) in 2019 to 94.67% (1 333/1 408) in 2023, showing an upward trend (χ 2trend = 1 002.92, P < 0.001). The adverse reaction rate of drug treatment was 0.36% (25/6 876). The combination of oral medication and local treatment had the highest effective rate (97.62%, 3 566/3 653). The management rate and contracted service rate of fluorosis patients were 100% each year, and the standardized management rate was above 99%. Conclusions:Fluorosis patients in Ankang City have a high willingness to receive treatment, with good treatment outcomes. The contracted services and management of patients are well implemented. In the future, continuous efforts should be made to improve the prevention, management, and health education of fluorosis patients.

BACKGROUND:Induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous is a minimally invasive,non-invasive and innovative method for the treatment of cervical/lumbar intervertebral disc herniation.After induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous,the research about whether cervical/lumbar intervertebral disc can maintain the original biomechanical strength has not been reported.OBJECTIVE:To measure the height of adjacent vertebral centroid of cervical/lumbar intervertebral disc before and after induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous operation to analyze the changes of the biomechanical strength of the intervertebral disc after reclining and to provide a new basis for induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous treatment of cervical and lumbar intervertebral disc herniation.METHODS:A retrospective analysis was performed on 140 patients with cervical/lumbar intervertebral disc herniation who received induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2013 to January 2023.Related software was used to measure the height of adjacent vertebral centroid of cervical/lumbar intervertebral disc of patients at each follow-up time point before and after induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous surgery in Magnetic Resonance Imaging image data under Artificial Intelligence-assisted calibration.Unoperated T1/T2 and T12/L1 segments were taken respectively as controls.Those with preoperative height of adjacent vertebral centroid less than 8％of the corresponding T1/T2 or T12/L1 control segment were in the"height reduction group"(hereafter referred to as group A)and the rest were in the"height unchanged group"(hereafter referred to as group B).The difference of height of adjacent vertebral centroid before and after operation between the group A and the group B was statistically analyzed.Simultaneously,the correlation between the volume of cervical and lumbar herniated discs and the changes of height of adjacent vertebral centroid was analyzed according to the result measured by artificial intelligence.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The study maintained a total of 140 patients,including 60 cases of cervical disc herniation and 80 cases of lumbar disc herniation.The postoperative follow-up period was 7 days to 12 months.(2)A total of 281 discs were measured in the cervical vertebra group,including 60 intervertebral discs in the control group.The mean value of height of adjacent vertebral centroid before and at the last postoperative follow-up was about 20.46 mm and 20.17 mm,respectively,with no statistical difference(P＞0.05).There were 162 cervical discs in group A.The average height of adjacent vertebral centroid before and after operation was 16.65 mm and 15.92 mm,respectively,with no statistically significant difference(P＞0.05).The mean cervical disc herniation volume before and after surgery was 510.28 mm3 and 364.76 mm3,respectively,which was not significantly correlated with height of adjacent vertebral centroid change(P＞0.05).There were 64 discs in the group B,with average of 20.15 mm before operation and 19.09 mm at the last follow-up,and there was no significant difference(P＞0.05).The mean volume of cervical disc herniation before and after surgery was 515.32 mm3 and 361.98 mm3,respectively,and there was no significant correlation with the change of height of adjacent vertebral centroid(P＞0.05).(3)A total of 258 discs were measured in the lumbar spine group,of which 80 intervertebral discs in the control group,the average height of adjacent vertebral centroid was 33.03 mm before operation and 32.40 mm at the last follow-up,and there was no significant difference.There were 59 discs in the group A,and the average height of adjacent vertebral centroid before and after operation was 30.08 mm and 31.67 mm,respectively,with no statistically significant difference.The mean volume of lumbar disc herniation before and after operation was 690.51 mm3 and 496.58 mm3,respectively,and there was no significant correlation with the change of height of adjacent vertebral centroid(P＞0.05).There were 119 discs in the group B,with an average height of adjacent vertebral centroid of 35.91 mm before surgery and 34.12 mm at the last follow-up.The mean volume of lumbar disc herniation before and after operation was 698.70 mm3 and 535.99 mm3,respectively,and there was no significant correlation with the change of height of adjacent vertebral centroid.(4)It is concluded that patients with cervical/lumbar intervertebral disc herniation can maintain the same intervertebral height level after induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous regardless of whether the intervertebral height has decreased before operation.It can be inferred that the resorption of the herniated disc does not affect its biomechanical strength.It suggests that induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous surgery should be performed before the intervertebral height of the degenerate segment has decreased.The induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous is more valuable to maintain the biomechanical strength of the resorptive disc.

Objective:To investigate the role of hypoxia-induced angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) expression in experimental choroidal neovascularization (CNV).Methods:Twenty-seven SPF male C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were selected.Eighteen of the mice were used to establish a laser-induced CNV model.On the 7th day after laser photocoagulation, success of the modeling was verified using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA). The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroid-sclera complex was extracted for protein analysis before modeling and on the 3rd and 7th days after modeling.The relative expression levels of ANGPTL4 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at different time points were detected by Western blot.Additionally, frozen sections of mouse eyeballs on day 7 after modeling were prepared and the expression and cellular localization of ANGPTL4 were observed by immunofluorescence.RF/6A cells, derived from monkey choroidal retinal endothelial cells, were treated with 200 μmol/L cobalt chloride (CoCl 2) in the culture medium for 0, 3, 6, and 12 hours.RF/6A cells were also divided into a normal control group, a hypoxia group, and a hypoxia+ si-ANGPTL4 group, and cells were transfected with a plasmid containing si-ANGPTL4 sequence.The relative expression levels of ANGPTL4 and VEGF proteins in each group were detected by Western blot, and the differences in tube formation among the groups were observed by tube formation assay.A total of 27 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into CNV group, CNV+ si-NC group, and CNV+ si-ANGPTL4 group, with 9 mice in each group.In the CNV+ si-NC and CNV+ si-ANGPTL4 groups, si-NC and si-ANGPTL4 were respectively injected into the vitreous cavity after the CNV model was established.Fluorescence leakage in mice was observed by FFA, and the length, thickness and area of CNV was observed using OCTA and immunofluorescence staining of choroidal flat mounts.The relative expression levels of ANGPTL4 and VEGF proteins in each group were detected by Western blot.All animal experiments were conducted in accordance with ARVO Statement on the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research.The experimental protocol was approved by the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University (No.S20220822-902). Results:Before modeling and on the 3rd and 7th days after modeling, the relative expression levels of ANGPTL4 protein were 1.00±0.00, 1.58±0.05, and 1.90±0.04, respectively, and the relative expression levels of VEGF protein were 1.00±0.00, 1.31±0.05, and 1.84±0.04, respectively, with statistically significant overall differences ( F=528.934, 390.424, both P<0.05). Among them, on the 3rd and 7th days after modeling, the relative expression levels of ANGPTL4 and VEGF proteins were significantly higher in CNV group than in the control group (all P<0.05). The tissues of each layer of the retina were clear in the control group, while neovascularization could be seen growing under the retinal neuroepithelial layer in the CNV group.Compared with the control group, ANGPTL4 expression was significantly increased and colocalized with vascular endothelial cells in the CNV group.After CoCl 2 treatment of RF/6A cells for 3, 6, and 12 hours, the relative expression levels of ANGPTL4 and VEGF proteins were higher than at 0 hour, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the relative ANGPTL4 protein expression was increased in the hypoxia group and significantly decreased in the hypoxia+ si-ANGPTL4 group, showing statistically significant differences (both P<0.05). The number of tube formations in the control group, hypoxia group, and hypoxia+ si-ANGPTL4 group were 12.67±1.53, 19.64±1.56, and 17.01±1.04, respectively, with a statistically significant overall difference ( F=33.091, P<0.01). The number of tube formations increased in the hypoxia group and hypoxia+ si-ANGPTL4 group compared with the control group, and the number of tube formations decreased in the hypoxia+ si-ANGPTL4 group compared with the hypoxia group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Relative expression levels of ANGPTL4 and VEGF proteins were significantly lower in the CNV+ si-ANGPTL4 group than those in the CNV group (both P<0.05). The CNV area was significantly lower in the CNV+ si-ANGPTL4 group than in the CNV group and CNV+ si-NC group (both P<0.05). Conclusions:Hypoxia-induced ANGPTL4 promotes experimental CNV formation in vivo and in vitro.Inhibiting ANGPTL4 can reduce CNV formation and leakage.

Objective To investigate the safety of intravascular lithotripsy(IVL)and coronary rotational atherectomy(RA)in the management of coronary artery calcification(CAC).Methods In this retrospective,matched-pair cohort study,210 patients with severe CAC treated at Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University between December 2021 and April 2025 were enrolled.The cohort was equally divided into two interventional groups:IVL group(n=105)and RA group(n=105),based on the revascularization strategy employed.Procedure parameters,postoperative biochemical markers of myocardial injury,and incidence of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)were compared between the two groups.Results Before propensity score matching(PSM),statistically significant differences were observed in terms of the proportions of the left anterior descending artery(77.1％vs.63.8％,P=0.034),the right coronary artery(14.3％vs.30.5％,P=0.005),and the percentage of target vessel stenosis[85％(80％,90％)vs.80％(80％,90％),P=0.014]between the IVL and RA groups.After PSM,these differences became insignificant(all P＞0.05).There is no statistically significant differences in stent implantation rate,drug-coated balloon usage rate,stent diameter,or total stent length between the IVL and RA groups(all P＞0.05).Compared to the RA group,although the IVL group had a higher utilization of tirofiban after the procedure,and a lower rate of intravenous nitrate during the procedure,these differences were not statistically significant(all P＞0.05).cTnT levels increased significantly after the procedure in both the IVL and RA groups(all P＜0.001).Before PSM,the preoperative cTnT levels were comparable between the IVL and RA groups(P=0.525),while a statistically significant difference emerged postoperatively(P=0.038).The incidence of in-hospital myocardial infarction showed no significant intergroup difference(8.6％vs.16.2％,P=0.094),and no events of death or target vessel revascularization occurred in either group.After PSM,despite no significant difference in preoperative cTnT levels between the IVL and RA groups(P=0.235),a significant difference was observed postoperatively(P=0.014).Furthermore,while no deaths or target vessel revascularization occurred in either group,the IVL group demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of in-hospital myocardial infarction compared to the RA group(9.9％vs.23.9％,P=0.025).Conclusions The use of intravascular lithotripsy for the pretreatment in patients with severe CAC is safe and promising.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between ABO blood types and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. METHODS: A prospective birth cohort study was conducted. ABO blood types were determined using the slide method. GDM diagnosis was based on a 75-g, 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) according to the criteria of the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups. Logistic regression was applied to calculate the odds ratios ( ORs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) between ABO blood types and GDM risk. RESULTS: A total of 30,740 pregnant women with a mean age of 31.81 years were enrolled in this study. The ABO blood types distribution was: type O (30.99%), type A (26.58%), type B (32.20%), and type AB (10.23%). GDM was identified in 14.44% of participants. Using blood type O as a reference, GDM risk was not significantly higher for types A ( OR = 1.05) or B ( OR = 1.04). However, women with type AB had a 19% increased risk of GDM ( OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.05-1.34; P < 0.05), even after adjusting for various factors. This increased risk for type AB was consistent across subgroup and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION The ABO blood types may influence GDM risk, with type AB associated with a higher risk. Incorporating it-either as a single risk factor or in combination with other known factors-could help identify individuals at risk for GDM before or during early pregnancy.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Diabetes, Gestational/etiology* ; ABO Blood-Group System ; Adult ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult